I’ve talked about this one before, but I don’t think anyone has a really good answer. In science, they’ve focused on very short intervals for fat loss (but these workouts are impractical for regular machines in gyms that can’t change the resistance fast enough).

Fortunately, in the real world, we’ve found that men and women (like Robyn ==>) can lose a lot of fat with a wide variety of interval training programs and interval training methods…from kettlebells to stationary bikes.

I doubt we’ll ever see a research study dedicated to this problem…or at least not anytime soon, so until then, choose intervals that you enjoy, but also choose ones that challenge you. Train hard, but safe.

2) Is it better to do intervals on off-days or right after your workout

This is a real common question because a lot of folks only want to do 15-20 minute workouts each day, and would rather split up their interval training and resistance training.

I don’t see any problem with that…and you probably won’t get better results one way or the other. But if you have any experience with both schedules, let us know!

3) Do you need a post-workout drink for fat loss? Or is all that sugar a bad idea? Can you get by on protein alone? And is that even necessary?

There are dozens of questions going through my mind about the best “post-exercise workout drink” for fat loss. But there are few, if any answers, and only theories…and it seems like everyone has their own idea.

I’ll say this…

It doesn’t make sense to “force” 30-50 grams of sugar into someone’s diet after exercise, if all they are doing is exercising three times per week and trying to lose fat.

At the end of the day, it’s all about “Calories in and calories out”. So if you are stuck at a plateau and you have been committed to high-sugar post-workout drinks, then you should definitely experiment with cutting these from your diet.

Should you stick to a protein shake? Or should you just say, “Screw it. I’ll eat after my workout when I get hungry, and I’ll just eat real food, because I don’t want to waste any daily calories on a sugar drink that doesn’t fill me up.”

That’s another thought to consider…why waste precious calories on a drink and then spend the rest of your day hungry? Does a post-workout drink really matter that much to the average, busy person with 30-40 pounds of fat to lose? The truth is…probably not.

So why do I drink chocolate milk after my workouts?

Because I like chocolate milk. And I’m not trying to lose fat. If I was trying to get lean, it might be one of the first things to go from my daily meal plan…

But if a post-workout drink is necessary…then what’s the best amount of protein (research suggests 20 grams is enough)? And what’s the best amount of carbohydrate? And do I need to drink the calories or is real food fine?

Anyways, so many questions, so little time. I’ll cover this one in greater detail another day.

4) Is there really such a thing as “starvation mode”?

I don’t know…but I’ll bet one thing, it’s not as easy to reach “starvation mode” as most people think it is…

If you miss a meal and don’t eat every3 hours, or even if you are on a diet for 12 weeks, I think its a stretch that you’ll go into “starvation mode”.

After all, the literal definition of starving is “extreme hunger”, and there aren’t a lot of folks – even on diets – that are going through extreme hunger. Heck, you don’t even get extreme hunger on a 24-hour fast.

So starvation mode…probably a lot harder to achieve than most people think. Too many folks underestimate the resiliency of the human body.

5) How little can you workout and still get amazing results?

That’s the million dollar question right there, isn’t it. And it’s something we’re going to be exploring a LOT here in the Turbulence Training workout world in the near future. Look for the first experiment to begin in June!

Bonus Question on Everyone’s Mind…

What % of fat loss results are due to diet?

80%, of course! After all, that’s what the bodybuilding magazines say, right?

In reality, impossible to answer. But as you know, you simply can’t out-train a bad diet.

You have any other “impossible to answer” fat loss questions? Or even an answer to the ones I’ve posted?

Craig Ballantyne is the author of The Perfect Day Formula: How to Own the Day and Control Your Life. Craig has been a contributor to Men's Health magazine for over 17 years. Today he teaches his gift high-performing entrepreneurs how to squeeze more out of their days, increase their income, and make more quality time for their families in his Perfect Life Workshop and Work-Life Mastery programs. Craig used his own advice to overcome crippling anxiety attacks in 2006, and he'll teach you his 5 Pillars of Success so you can increase your income, decrease your work time, and live the life of your dreams. Learn more about Craig at craigballantyne.com

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